Definition

1. Noun:
   • A person whose job is to catch and kill rats: A "rat-catcher" is a worker employed to control or eliminate rats, typically to protect property, food supplies, or public health from these pests.

Usage

• The term "rat-catcher" is a compound noun. It specifically refers to the occupation or role of a person. It is a somewhat dated or historical term, as modern pest control professionals are more commonly called "exterminators" or "pest control technicians."
• It is used to describe someone engaged in the practical, often hands-on, work of dealing with rat infestations.

Examples

• In the 19th century, every town had a rat-catcher to manage the rodent population.
• They hired a rat-catcher to deal with the rats in the old barn.
• The rat-catcher used trained dogs and traps to clear the sewers.

Advanced Usage

• The term can be used metaphorically to describe someone who deals with unpleasant or troublesome problems.
  • In the corporate scandal, she was the rat-catcher brought in to clean up the mess.
• Historically, "rat-catcher" was a recognized and sometimes gruesome trade, especially before modern pest control methods.

Variants and Related Words

• Rat-catching (noun): The activity or profession of catching rats.
  • Rat-catching was a vital service in medieval cities.
• Exterminator (noun): A more modern general term for a person whose business is destroying or driving out pests, including rats.
• Pest controller (noun): A contemporary professional term for someone who manages and removes pests.

Synonyms

• Exterminator: A person whose occupation is to kill pests.
• Vermin destroyer: A formal or old-fashioned term for someone who kills harmful animals.
• Rodent control operator: A technical term for a professional in this field.

Related Phrases/Idioms

• While there is no common idiom with "rat-catcher" itself, the concept relates to idioms about rats.
• Like rats leaving a sinking ship: Used to describe people abandoning a failing enterprise. A successful rat-catcher would hope to see this behavior.
• To smell a rat: To suspect that something is wrong. A rat-catcher must be adept at this.

Noun

1. a workman employed to destroy or drive away vermin